When in Springfield...

...eat at Doe's, as in Doe's Eat place. No this isn't an attempt to make a funny rhyme with the Simpson's Springfiels and Moe's. It's a little whole in the wall looking place in Springfield, Missourri. Looks like a place you would grab lunch at with the single guys at the office who wouldn't get vegetables if not for the meat and two place down the street. However, this place is known for it's steaks and hot tamales. Apparently it's a small chain in the south central (or at least central) part of the country. I think it's only in some smaller to mid-sized towns, not your typical high end big city steak place like Sullivan's, Morton's, The Palm, etc.

No steak (other than the filet's) were under a pound and a half. I knocked down a 1.5 lb T-bone. It was about an 1 1/4" thick and cooked to perfection. Probably one of the best steaks I've had, easily top 5. that includes a couple trips to some of the places listed above. Washed it down with a cold beer and lead off with a little salad and some hot tamales. Fantastic meal, and I didn't have to pick up the bill. God, I love factory trips. Night before we ate the country club that Payne Stewart belonged to growing up. They have a trophy case dedicated to his memory. That was a ribeye night along with some great appetizers. Those midwesterners sure know how to put away some beaf, I mean food. Well, to them it's all the same.

As mentioned I was on a factory visit to Loren Cook Fan Company. These people know fans. Top notch product line with one of the widest arrays of products on the market, great pricing, customer service, quality and reputation. Needless to say I'm about to bust one with the excitement of now being able to rep this company. It means good things for the Double D in the future.

Oh, and if you go, be aware they have a nice little downtown area reminiscent of Clemson. Reminiscent because of the string of bars that attract the college crowd. Missouri St. (20K+ enrollment, formerly SW Missouri St of NCAA B-ball tourney notability) is there along with a few small schools. Plenty of hot brunnettes, definitely the girl next door/farmers daughter types. Needless to say I enjoyed the scenery when we were out at night or at lunch/dinner out. The Cook folks take note of this and are known around town too. Everywhere we went we had the top notch/hottest waitresses and were taken care of right. If any of you have vendors that want you to spec/use their product, you need to find a place like this to go on a factory visit. Otherwise, get your company to buy my fans and I'll take care of you. Good times for a work trip, good times.

Whatown

I’ve been meaning to post but have been pretty busy so here are some thoughts about things that I have forgotten, read about, etc.

First, Tuesday was International Talk Like a Pirate Day….and I missed it. I think we all did. I found a couple sites that talked about it. One had some cool terms but no phrases. Most we all know but it’s still funny. I would have worn an eye patch just for giggles at some point had I been warned in advance. I remember several radio channels talking about it last year but not this year. In honor of the day though I got me a cool pirate name.
Bloody Tom Rackham
Every pirate lives for something different. For some, it's the open sea. For others (the masochists), it's the food. For you, it's definitely the fighting. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham...blah blah blah.
Get yours here before ye get to swab the deck you land lubber.

Second, an article came out in my professional organizations email newsletter. The title was “Survey Says More Engineers Going Online for Information.” You can probably guess where this article is going so I’ll save you the details. To my professional organization, and I try to keep this blog PG-13 in language, I say with resounding tone “NO SHIT!" We should sign you up with the NSA due to your excellent investigative skills. I bet Heilmann knows someone they can get in touch with for a position as we all know he really doesn't design computer hardware like his cover job indicates.
Third, the same email also had a quick snippet about HP releasing a new engineering calculator that hooks up to USB ports and has all the bells and whistles. Surprisingly it’s the HP50G. 50 sounds about right as many of us had the 48G or GX starting somewhere around 10 years ago. I’m curious what this does to the used calculator market for old 48GX’s still in good condition. I really would like to get a replacement seeing as how I am still attached to the old one and it’s busted screen. Still looking for someone to sell one at a reasonable price.

Finally, I am headed to Springfield Mo. this afternoon for training and should be back to the QC sometime midday Sunday. Hopefully I will be able to get one last day on the lake. For those that don’t know Springfield is the state capital and about 30 miles from Branson, the midwest version of Gatlinburg, which is also known as Myrtle Beach in the Mountians. You get the drift so I expect to see some funny crap, at least in the airport. If I have internet access in the room, you’ll hear about it sooner rather than later. It’s a work trip for a new fan line. Lots of drinking will be done on someone else’s tab. It will be with old people. I hope to not sing Karaoke like my last trip to Missouri. My drunken rendition of the Chuck Berry classic “My Ding-a-Ling” was not too good but I still give many thanks to the Univ. of Missouri Co-eds who were kind enough to step in and sing back up for me. That was a funny trip but 3 years ago now. Wow, I’m getting old fast.

Fitty Cent

Roughly the amount gas prices have dropped in the past month or so. Some will point to the decrease in traffic with the summer travel season past, others say futures pointed that way prior to Labor day, I say we were getting screwed all along. Nothing in Iran or Iraq has really improved. Yeah, discussions are headed in the right direction but did you see what Iran said today? "Things would be calmer in Iraq if the US wasn't there." If this isn't sneaky attempt to say if you leave things will calm, I mean, give us an opportunity to take finish what was started 25 years ago and raged for 8+ years, I don't know what is.
Anyway, that is another story, but as for the gas, I find it quite humourous. There are three gas stations at my work exit. At 7:45 AM they were either $2.59 or $2.64 a gallon. At 1:30PM they were all $2.49 for regular unleaded and the premium was down around the regular prices from a couple days ago. Just this week I think they are down between $.15 and $.20 a gallon. Rhyme nor reason to this other than oil per barrel has dropped. I jsut find it amazing how much they can drop this. We all knwo the basic trend of running up fast and cutting back slowly but to drop back this fast over a couple days? Makes you wonder how bad we are getting shafted.

Remember

Most of you are probably looking for a recap of the Boston trip but that will have to wait. Today we will be keeping in our minds the events of 5 years ago when our great country came under attack by a radical sect of a supposedly peaceful religion. Never forget the events of this date nor the many events that occured in the 20 years prior (Trade Tower explosion in early '90's, USS Cole, etc) and keep in mind the common link all these events have. My senselessness will return later this week but today we are being serious in Whatown.

Chowda!

This weekend bring on one of my first true road trips to watch the Tiger's play since fall of '00 when we watched a debacle at the hands of FSU in Doak Campbell then laughed for the next month as the voters from the same state couldn't figure out how to punch a ballott card, but I digress. True, I have madea couple over night trips to Raleigh but when you are crashing on a friends couch, is it really much different than going back for a home game and doing the same at a friends place in Clemson?
Big weekend planned. Touching down in the land of uber-liberal dems with funky accents and good seafood around midnight. Nothing on the agenda specifically for the day tomorrow but a Red Sox game is in line for tomorrow night. Tickets are around for everyone making the trip. Late night possibly planned following the Sox game.
Saturday is the main course with the BC/Clemson game kicking off about 3:30 on ABC so keep your eyes open for us. Plenty of tailgating isplanned for pregame. Psot game is still a mystery as who knows what energy we will have following the day. Hopefully a good meal in the Italian north end will be on tap but I have no problem grabbing some seafood on the wharf. We'll see how that shakes out. A good report will follow I am sure. Return Sunday morning. Early flight out, layover in ATL, and back to the Queen City around 2, hopefully in time to get into something fun in that afternoon/evening unless I fall on my face from exhaustion.

Labor Day Plans

So, big weekend ahead I am hoping. Tonight will be strictly tailgate prep. Patting out burgers, getting the coolers ready and making sure the Jeep is packed properly with all the main equipment. Drinks will be had as the liver needs to get it's act together as well. The hell with a night off. So, all the readers of this little rag will alreay know where I will be tomorrow, so you'll get details on the actuall shananigans next week. I should be returning to Charlotte sometime during the 11PM hour. Additional Satturday debauchery is doubtful but if the heat and beer are not too draining, I may make a cameo at a party or one of the bars at the lake.
sunday and Monday should be good as a day on the lake and a round of golf are in the cards. I'm looking forward to this part of the weekend almost as much as tomorrow. No offense, but it's nice to be able to go do things near home form time to time as for a long time I would end up just screwing around online or watching TV/movies.
I think Poot is involved in most of this same stuff. He has been on a bit of roll in at least getting phone numbers of chics to hang out, so manybe I can provide a mode of entertainment if we can get them around. Here's to hoping he, Nobrainer, and myself have a helluva weekend wiht plenty of eat, drink, sleep, wash and repeat.